Tomb of Kumral Abdal

The Tomb of Kumral Abdal is the resting place of one of the figures who witnessed the founding years of the Ottoman state: Kumral Abdal, standard-bearer of Ertuğrul Gazi. It stands on a hill on the Kovalıca road, close to the centre of Bozüyük.

Who was Kumral Abdal?

His given name was Turgut; neither his date nor his place of birth is known. He was a disciple of Sheikh Edebali, one of the spiritual guides of the early Ottoman state.

Sheikh Edebali lived in a village called İtburnu near Eskişehir, where he taught his students. Kumral Abdal, who came of age in those gatherings, was charged both with training students and with taking part in the frontier campaigns. He is remembered as one of the influential figures of the beylik's founding years.

The tomb and its grounds

The tomb has a simple plan with a lead-covered dome and holds several sarcophagi draped in green cloth. In the courtyard there is also a grave made in the name of “Alperen”; the plaque beside it relates that the grave was made following dreams seen during the restoration of the tomb. In one corner of the garden, stone fragments surviving from earlier periods of the building are also on display.

Getting there

The tomb is on the road from Bozüyük towards Kovalıca. Turning off the Bursa-Eskişehir road towards Yediler Quarter and Kovalıca, you reach it after about 1,200 metres.

The grounds are in the open air and can be visited freely during the day.